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Okay so it has been awhile since I was last on here... I have not given up hope on this!! I do have a concern about how far can a MTF be from your location to get a referral through?? Eglin AFB is the only one performing bariatric surgeries of any kind in Florida... and it is 8 hours away!! What are my odds on getting that through?? Or am I going to have to suck it up and wait for a transfer... Any help would be good! Thank you all so much for all the input!!!

I just found out that Naval Hospital Jacksonville is performing Bariatric surgeries!! That makes me so much happier because it is only 3hours away... and as far as Eglin AFB- I called and said that their surgeon is transfering in June and they are not taking anymore patients, just finishing up with those they have already been dealing with. Confusing point.. Tricare whom I called today said that I need to contact the MTF and see if they have an opening, that they dont deal with referrals to MTF's... But then when I called the Naval Hospital in Jacksonville- the man said I need to have my PCM refer me to them through TRICARE.. soo I am off to the DR, in hopes of a correctly worded refferal to the MTF in Jacksonville!!

I questioned how her surgeon was getting a non-covered procedure covered with Tricare after years of it being denied. Our bariatric program has been shut down at our MTF where I had my revision. Every spouse is getting referred off base and the band or bypass are the only allowable surgeries. Congressional complaints, appeals, and all the hoops have been filed and jumped through with zero approvals. We went round and round about it via private message some time last year. I should have recalled the screen name when she posted, but because I quit frequenting this forum, my memory lapsed. And, I was truly hoping it wouldn't be turned into a drama fest of my surgeon got it approved. Other military wives are struggling to get this surgery. It's cloak and dagger stuff, and it saddens me that others have struggled for years, postponed surgery, or had to self-pay because the codes used won't get disclosed. It's all secretive and in my opinion unfair if there is a way to get it covered, yet the information can not be shared unless you go through this particular surgeon. Out of the hundreds of denials, how in the heck is this ONE surgeon getting approvals and getting paid by a government ran insurance program. It really saddens me that this surgeon is not willing to help others in other states get approval. The rules of our insurance is strict enough as it is. IF there is a legal and legitimate way to get VSG covered with a civilian surgeon, it would help 1000s of other military wives/dependents who deserve to have the surgery they need. Like I said, Medicare has approved it, Tricare will follow, hopefully sooner than later.

I just thought I'd throw it out there that I have a civilian PCM and did not have to change to an on base/post PCM to get the referral to the base bariatric department. I hope things go smoothly for you, and best wishes on your journey ! ! !

No, that doesn't really have anything to do with drug companies. That has to do with greed. When banding was first around (and one doc still attempts to charge this here in the Phoenix area) they were charging $30K for the band. Everyone was going to Mexico where it was farrrr more reasonable and the surgeons were vastly more experienced in banding and aftercare. US docs have HAD to lower their prices or they have no business. Your doc charged $17K three months ago, my Mexican surgeon charged me $7800 15 months ago and that included a night in the hotel the evening before and two nights in a private hospital after surgery. Why do you think there is so much drama between US surgeons and Mexican surgeons? The US surgeons blast them at every opportunity with huge and silly claims. They do that to keep the patients in the US, it's not working but they try. Kirshenbaum is getting busier and busier and it's because he's a good surgeon with a fair price. Kirshenbaum has been charging $9950 and CO is expensive for cost of living. Your doc charges $17K. See what I mean? Docs have no choice but to charge more reasonable prices for surgery. Consider this, the band has always cost US docs the same, between $3500-$4K. Yet they were charging $30K for a 30 minute procedure. ??? Do you really think doing the absolute easiest surgical procedure in bariatrics deserves $30K for 30 minutes? Docs want to make $1K a minute, but it was due to doctors outside the US that forced them to be a little more reasonable. Not drug companies. I swear, bariatrics has the most greedy of all doctors. The $1100 fills by Dr. Brad Wilcox (current) to the $1K/minute for the easiest procedure to do requiring the least skill in bariatrics. It's all about greed.

Hi!! So exciting to meet neighbors!! I am going to Dr. Schmit in Bismarck. I live here in Bismarck and I have had him before. He did a biopsy on my breast in November. He was so kind. My sister had passed away a week prior (cancer) and I was really sad. His bedside manner just touched my heart. So... I am sticking with him. The coordinator for bariatric surgeries there is really great too. Mexico huh? How much less did it cost there? Best Wishes, Tarra

What insurance pays vs. what private pay folks pay are two very different issues. Private pay is better, hands down. No insurance issues to deal with, less overhead, cash in hand. Insurance co's negotiate fees on reasonable prices paid for that geographical location. Hernia repairs... that's one stitch. One single stitch. Most docs in the US charge extra for that single stitch but in Mexico they do not. It's all part of banding. I had a hiatal hernia, didn't know it, and he told me about it after he fixed it. Mexico wages... true. The average nurse makes $500/month and the average doctor in Mexico makes $1K/month. But those are averages. Along the border averages no longer count. Sure, it's cheaper but not as much as most would think. The private hospital I was at is one of the more expensive hospitals in Mexico. Along the border it is not as cheap as you would think. The nicer the town the more expensive it will be. Tijuana is going to have a lower cost of living than Mexicali for example, but the fees are the same regardless to patients (for the better docs, the trashy ones charge $6K+ for people shopping by price vs. skill). Clearly, the doc has overhead. That isn't my point. Cost of living is increasing yet the cost of banding is decreasing. In 2001 docs were charging $30K for banding because they COULD get it. They can't get that today so they have to lower their fees to something more reasonable. Look at it this way, they had less overhead for banding in the beginning because virtually no insurance company covered it. Most were cash pay. There is less overhead with cash pay. Some were getting $30K for a lousy band. Today they have more overhead because insurance is starting to cover banding more now than ever. Yet they are charging half what they used to and still making money! Good money at that! It's greed. I'm not saying bariatric surgeons should not make a buck. They don't go to work daily for their health, it's a living. They should make an income. That's not my issue. My issue is the greed involved. $30K for banding because they could get it. They did not lower prices because band makers are reimbursing them the difference, they are lowering prices or they wouldn't have any business. Bariatrics is the only speciality in medicine where greed is still okay. Docs can claim their medical malpractice insurance does not cover doing fills for those banded out of the country but since when does medical malpractice say if you were born in Mexico you can't get medical care here? Hello??? A little common sense goes a long way but these docs don't think about the obvious, they often times assume we are all stupid and will believe anything they say. They are miffed that people went to another surgeon for banding (the money maker) and wants fills (not a money maker) in the US. I don't blame them, they are in a business. My issue is not the docs not doing fills for folks they did not band. My issue is the honesty factor. Flat out admit that if they can't have the surgery business they don't want the fill business. It's fair, there is nothing wrong with their feeling that way. But damnit, quit treating us like we are a bunch of idiots that don't know better and have no common sense. Terry Simpson started this line of crap on another forum just a couple of days ago and I confronted him about the medical malpractice issue and now he won't come back to the thread. Threaten some of these docs with honesty and call them on their BS and they run away with their tail between their legs. I asked for proof of his many claims and he never returned to the thread. ;o) Brad Wilcox was posting here claiming he'd do fills on anyone regardless of where they were banded. He didn't mention he charges $1100 for fills! This was a PM conversation we had. He claimed he was unaware his office manager was charging this. Bahh... I'm not an idiot but he is greedy. ;o) He doesn't know his own fee structure that he set up? Com'on.... He said that his "office manager" didn't think it was fair that Mexican banded folks get a "cheap" surgery and then not have to pay up the way US banded folks do. What a load, he assumes it is his responsibility to charge people for having surgery in Mexico as some sort of punishment and then he reaps the rewards of punishing people? And again, he claims he didn't know he set his own fees up this way. He can charge whatever he wants, if he gets takers on that one is a different story. But the point is honesty. Is honesty such a horror? And since I didn't build his swimming pool in my surgery I got a cheap surgery? I got a great surgery by someone far more experienced than he in a luxury hospital with two nights of hospitalization vs. shoving me out the door when I woke up. These doctors are not thinking these issues through. Treating us like we are that stupid is not wise. Dishonesty is never wise. Assuming none of us have common sense is not wise. It's insulting and nothing more. I don't expect US surgeons to fill Mexican banded patients. They are in this to make money and that is completely and totally fair. My issue is assuming since we didn't pay ridiculous prices for something that should not be that expensive we got a "cheap" surgery? I'm only asking for honesty, it's a money issue. US docs are miffed (and rightfully so) that they are losing money to the more experienced surgeons out of the country. But it wasn't cheap and it certainly was not inferior. It was a fair price for a quality surgery. As patients that is what we want and need. If they don't like it then they can do what Dr. K does in CO and charge fair prices for a quality surgery. How can some justify $17K for cash pays when Dr. K is charging $9950 for cash pay folks? Tell me greed isn't a factor, it is! CO has a very high cost of living. Docs are business people like everyone else and they will charge what they can get. That's how business works. And patients are consumers in this case and we have to choose what is right for us. In my case insurance would have covered banding. But it would have meant jumping through hoops, waiting it it out, and going to a surgeon I wasn't thrilled with. I have the money so I went to the surgeon I wanted, the one with the skill, experience, and background I was looking for and paid cash. It was my decision, my money, and I did what was right for me. Many US docs clearly don't like losing the business but you know what? It's like anything else, people go where they want for their own reasons. Grocery stores don't like customers going to their competition either. But that's how it works. This is another reason for sleeves. No political crap, no BS, just get the sleeve and go on with your life. Minimal aftercare issues for the most part. I wish I would have done it. Not to say my band hasn't been a fantastic tool for me, it has. But I could have gone the rest of my life without knowing the politics of banding and been quite happy. ;o)

I take Bariatric Advantage VitaBand chewable Vitamins - they are designed to meet the needs of Lap Band patients. Bariatric Advantage - Bariatric Advantage VitaBand Chewable Multivitamin - Watermelon (180ct)

Nahhh... not a deep area of concern, but certainly a pet peeve of mine. But then I have a thing about honesty too and especially honesty in the medical profession. Nobody has a right to be anything but honest if they are in medicine. However, I did not point out that it's expensive to get fills if surgery was in Mexico... that is your claim. I said I have a problem with doctors that take advantage of patients. Most doctors do not do this. I can get a fill from my original surgeon for $75, I can go to a nurse practitioner for $100 here in Phoenix, I can go 15 miles to a bariatric surgeon for $250 (after paying a $1500 one time program fee to see the psych, nut, etc.), or I can go to Flagstaff and see a doc using fluoro for $200. I haven't looked beyond that because I have my "emergency" plan in place. Quite frankly, those banded in the US need an emergency plan as well. If your doc dies or retires you will have the same issues I have. Finding another bariatric surgeon to do your fills won't be any easier than a Mexican banded patient finding a fill place. I'm very pro-Mexico for those that can't or won't stay in the US for surgery. If done right, it can be very nice, safe, and affordable. Comparing greedy plastic surgeons to greedy bariatric surgeons is like comparing apples to oranges. One surgeons saves lives and one makes them pretty until they die. ;o) Sorry you had such a complicated hernia repair, they are usually one stitch. Two at best. They are extremely common in obese folks, obesity is a huge cause for hiatal hernias.

Ok so even before I read the post from Irmabeck, I switched doctors only because I had my Gyno refer me to another group of surgeons closer to my home. Just yesterday I went to the Flemming Island Surgical Center for a day surgery procedure and I really liked this facility. Everybody was so warm and friendly, the fixtures were very posh and upgraded in every fashion possible. I had a great experience all over. My gynocologist who did my procedure yesterday is a part owner is this private facility, both the Bariatric Surgeons her refered me to also work out of this surgical center, so I'm quite pleased. I can say that my Gynocologist is the best doctor I have ever ever met as far as listening to his patience and his over all bedside manner; if he is referring me to a colleague of his and he knows me, I'm quite certain they will provide me with the same service. The Bariatric Surgeons names are Stankard and Brinkman. Anybody who reads this and has hear anything at all about the please message me. I have full confidence in my gyno so I'm not expecting any bad news. Just wondering if anybody has seen them before. Anyway, thanks for all the info and the alerts all. Have a blessed week then weekend. Kerrie

You need to call the bariatric clinic at BAMC you do not need to go to your PCM for a referral. I had my sleeve done there and I am sure you could get all the information and come down for your appts. The only trouble would be the nutrition classes but I am sure you could go to classes in Killeen and they would count. Bythe way they just changed it here at Brooks Army Medical Center (BAMC) where you only need 3 months of classes instead of 6 months, very cool. All of your blood work can be done at any other military facility and the results are sent over to the clinic. They require you to first go to a informational meeting and then to a surgery specific meeting. Then you start checking of the squares you sleep test, pschy eval, and all the rest. I would call them. I had a BMI of 39 and was sleeved in April. their numbers are 210-916-9023 or 210-916-0763 good luck!!

Wow, this is NEWS for Aetna folks. Aetna has changed its Coverage Policy Document on bariatric surgery. It doesn't actually embrace lapbanding, but it DOES open the door for people who have significant contraindications for RNY. There are some contraindications listed, but as we all know they can't possibly predict all the cases. For example, if I were going to try to appeal my denial again now, I'd make a strong case that the rapid weight loss following RNY surgery was in itself something I could not accept. That sort of rapid weight loss significantly disrupted my life 13 years ago, when I lost 75 lbs in 12 weeks on Optifast. For the full picture, visit Aetna's website at www.aetna.com and look for Coverage Policy Bulletin # 157. I see more Aetna bandsters in the future!!

Hi My name is Hope. Just starting to look at the Lap band. Having the gastric bypass is a little scarry to me. I live in Charlotte, NC I have been to one seminar at Presbyterian Hospital. I am shopping around for a Surgeon. I have 2 more seminars to go to one at cmc mercy hospital and one at Southeast Bariatric both are in Charlotte. I am on my journey and I would like to connect with all bansters for support, encourage, critisims. Thanks:nervous

Hello Tonya and welcome! I have just been banded, going on nine days. You can read our NC site as I've told a few of my ups and downs this first week, but I am happy with my decision and feel more encouraged than I have in a long time. I started battling with weight during college years my highest weight has been 280, but I do know there are other bandsters that are in higher ranges. No matter where we fit in the weight category, we all can relate to the struggles that added weight has put upon each of us. This is a great site for encouragement and help. You mentioned about going to another area. My surgeon is Dr. Enoch in Wake Forest/North Raleigh, he has been a great surgeon for me. I do not like the hospital in Louisburg he has to use, but I have been told that he also works out of Greensboro. He is also a certified surgeon when it comes to hernia issues which I found that is the reason some of the bariatric surgeons don't always take people over a certain weight because they don't do the hernia repairs, etc. I originally was at another weight center and they wouldn't approve the band for me because of the hernia issue. I looked elsewhere. That's something you will have to seek more information on, maybe more experience bandsters can tell you if they have heard the same thing. I think everyone would keep telling you to be persistent. For me personally, it took a year to get everything done and approved and to find the right person. There is a wonderful group of women who get together in Charlotte, I hope to meet them one day, maybe they can tell you more. Stay on this site! Ask questions! If you got to lose some before you will be considered a candidate, I think it would be the best fight you could do for yourself. No I didn't say easy! We've all been there. Happy Trails Vickie

Hello. My name is Christi and I live in Hickory, NC with my husband of 11 years. We have 2 daughters, Chelsea (age 9) and Shelby (age 3). My husband just retired from the military so we relocated here about a year and a half ago. I am a personal banker at the Bank of America in Lenoir, NC and absolutely ADORE my job! I just attended the WLS seminar at CMC-Mercy in Charlotte on 02/13/08. This is about an hour from my house. But, they are the closest bariatric surgeons that take our military insurance, Tricare Prime. Every other place I contacted said that even if my insurance covered the operation and agreed to pay, I'd have to pay out of pocket first and then file myself with my insurance company. :wink2: There's NO WAY I can afford to do that! At this point, I'm just waiting to hear from the surgeon's office to set up my initial appointment with them. They took our information at the seminar and said they had to verify insurance coverage and calculate our BMI, etc. to make sure we even qualify for the WLS. I'm very anxious to get my package together and have it submitted to the insurance company so we can get the ball rolling. I've already requested my medical records for the past 5 years and am thinking of making my psych eval appointment to move things along more quickly. I don't want to get too far ahead of myself. But, at 5'4", 273 lbs, and 46% BMI, I can see no reason why they should deny me. (fingers crossed) Their requirements to qualify for WLS are that you have to be 100 lbs. overweight w/ comorbidities or 200% of your ideal body weight. Anyway, that's where I'm at in this process. If anyone has any suggestions on what I can do to speed up this whole process, let me know! :wink_smile:

Re: Dr. Van Wagner-CoolBrez84, if you are in the St. Louis area, check out Dr. Wagner with Heart of America Bariatrics. Annapg, in my consultation with Dr. Wagner and from attending the informational seminar I didn't get the impression that he favors RNY (gastric by-pass) over LapBand, but just the opposite. But he is very candid about the need to exercise, and someone who won't will do better with by-pass.

Bariatric advantage has a program for 90 day supply free...it's called the recover program...they just sent mine. Then celebrate vitamins has their own program I signed up for..they send u vitamins every 90 days for a year from when u apply. I got those today

Mexico was even better than my insurance would have been even if it did cover bariatric surgery. I have a $7500 deductible on my insurance. My surgery in Mexico INCLUDING airfare for 2 people and all my meds to take home, food for my husband and tips for transportation, etc ended up being $5000. The care I received was top notch! I don't regret it for a minute!

The nursing staff on the bariatric unit are amazing. I had two c-section at Winnie Palmer and IMO the care on the bariatric unit was more caring and helpful (and I loved my care at Winnie). You will be in great hands and Drs. T and Jawad (and their staff) are wonderful. Keep us posted on your progress!

Hello everyone! :-) This is my first post here. I was recommended to check out this site after posting on OH. Some info about me: I'm 25 years old, female, 5 feet tall and 263 pounds. I want the DS surgery. So far I've had my surgeon consultation and first dietitian appointment. I have all my other evaluations scheduled in the next month. My first issue I'm hoping for advice with: I went to my consult adamant that I want the DS surgery. Unfortunately I am NOT good at standing up for myself or disagreeing with doctors. When the surgeon asked what surgery I want, I said DS and he basically said that I do qualify at my BMI, but he would recommend I do the sleeve because I'm young and have a long time ahead of me to deal with the side effects and deficiencies that come with the DS. He said that if I'm not successful I can always have the 2nd part done and convert to a DS. He asked me what I thought about that and because of my shyness I said okay to the sleeve. After coming home and doing even more research, I'm even more adamant that I want the DS for many reasons: 1. I want to lose 120 pounds and KEEP IT OFF. The DS has the best results and least chances of regain, which I have a long history of. It looks like the average weight I can expect to lose with the DS is at least 90-100 pounds, while with the gastric sleeve I would probably only lose about 60. While losing 60 pounds would of course be wonderful, I would rather have the surgery that can take me to my total goal. 2. I have heard that the DS lets you eat the most normally. 3. I want to have the best possible surgery now, one time. I don't want to have to go through surgery again. 4. On the same note, getting a second surgery approved will be extremely difficult and probably denied, so if I don't lose enough weight or if I gain a lot back, I will have to self pay which I cannot afford. 5. Taking Vitamins and committing to blood work and follow-ups is not a problem to me. I look at it this way - I can have this surgery, take daily vitamins and go to the doctor regularly to check levels; OR, I can not have the surgery and continue to have weight issues, take daily medicines for co-morbidities and go to the doctor regularly for my health problems. So, I plan to call the office today and let them know I have changed my mind and want the DS. I'm worried that my Dr. will be offended or something, because I have known a lot of doctors that can be arrogant and hate being questioned. At my consultation he was extremely nice and didn't give me any indication that he was that type of person, but I'm still nervous! So my question is: what do you recommend I say to the doctor to support why I disagree and want the DS? If for some reason he refuses to do it for me, can I transfer the evaluations I've done to another practice/surgeon without having to start all over? Next issue: I had my first dietitian appointment on Monday and I'm very worried that he doesn't know and understand my insurance requirements. My Cigna plan requires 3 months (so 4 consecutive monthly appointments) of a physician or dietitian supervised weight loss program. When he mentioned I would be seeing him one more time, I told him that my insurance requires 3 months of visits. He went and got a packet with a description of the requirements for all the different insurance companies and said I was right about that. He then said that I could just see my PCP for some of the appointments. I said I want to do the 4 appointments all with him because it is supposed to be with the same doctor and I do not want to do ANYTHING that could get me denied. He said that was fine and we could meet monthly. Another concern of mine is that my monthly weight loss program requires documentation of my weight, dietary program and physical activity. He recorded my weight and taught me about the 1200 calorie diet plan he is prescribing for me and gave me papers with all the details and recommendations, and he taught me about the Protein and other diet requirements for after my surgery. The appointment was very informative and helpful, but we never touched on a physical activity plan at all. Maybe I am being paranoid, but I'm very worried about problems with insurance after the horror stories I've seen in the forums. I want to make sure every detail is perfectly followed. So what I was thinking of doing is seeing my PCP every month on top of the dietitian appointments, just in case it's not done correctly by the dietitian. My PCP is great and strongly supports my surgery. I'm positive he would do the weight loss program with me and follow all my requirements. Do you guys think this is a good idea? Could seeing both the doctor and dietitian at the same time for the weight loss program possibly be a problem for any reason you can think of? Okay, now one more topic! I am really sorry for this incredibly long post, I just have so many questions and concerns. I have checked and confirmed my bariatric surgery coverage in a few ways. I call the Cigna customer service line twice to confirm that my specific plan covers weight loss surgery and both times was told yes, it is covered. But I just don't trust the people on the phone to always be correct. I also signed into my account on the Cigna website and used the cost estimator for my plan, and it said that I can expect to pay a $300 co-pay for bariatric surgery. Lastly I read the coverage booklet posted by the employer providing the plan. The only mention of bariatric surgery is in the exclusions section, but this is what it says: "Payment for the following is specifically excluded from this plan: .... • for medical and surgical services intended primarily for the treatment or control of obesity. However, treatment of clinically severe obesity, as defined by the body mass index (BMI) classifications of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute guideline is covered if the services are demonstrated, through peer-reviewed medical literature and scientifically based guidelines, to be safe and effective for treatment of the condition." Is it just me or is that a bit confusing? I'm thinking this means that the plan does not cover any obesity treatment for those who do not have "clinically severe obesity". A BMI over 40 or between 35-39.9 with co-morbidities is defined as clinically severe obesity. So I definitely meet this requirement with a BMI of about 52. I'm also thinking that the last part about treatments that are peer reviewed and scientifically shown to be safe and effective means that the 5 procedures covered in the Cigna bariatric surgery coverage policy are all covered (gastric Bypass, gastric banding, RNY, vertical banded gastroplasty and BPD/DS for those with BMI over 50). I just find it odd that weight loss surgery is ONLY mentioned in the exclusions section. This booklet may be outdated - the "effective date" in the beginning is February 2009. Well, if you made it through this post, I appreciate it and applaud your patience! :-) Thanks so much for any advice or insights you can provide.

Hi I'm also new to WLS and live in Austin, TX. Looking at getting gastric bypass and working on talking to the staff at SW Bariatrics. Anyone have advice or suggestions regarding WLS & this location? Thanks Sent from my LG-H830 using the BariatricPal App

Wow, if medical students had to take a course in Bedside Manner (which they don't), he must have flunked out. And he gets one million extra demerits for the "I don't think this will help" remark. Very little in what he told you is consistent with my understanding of appropriate food choices with the band. And that business about the skins of Beans remaining in the band just doesn't make sense anatomically. No part of any food can make it into your band. The only thing that goes into your band is saline solution. If he meant that it stays in your stoma, that's still a dumb statement. No food should ever stay in your stoma for longer than a few minutes. If it does, something's wrong. If meant that complex carbs like beans offer better satiety because of the Fiber content (which is true for everyone, not just bandsters, and that's because of what happens to them in the intestines, not the stomach), then I don't understand why he thinks that veggie burgers (which contain - hello? - fibrous veggies and (depending on the product) healthy soy protein) are a poor choice. Did anyone in that practice explain all these arbitrary food rules to you before your surgery? Did they tell you that you being a vegetarian was a problem for them? Does he employ a bariatric dietitian? If so, you need to consult with that person, and if you get the same line of crap, it's time to look for another bariatric practice to do your aftercare. Jeez Louise, that p*sses me off. I feel like kicking a dog now, except at the moment they're all being as good as gold.

Whiterabbit, I understand. I really do. I was prepared, too. But if your insurance contract stipulates the supervision, I think it's realistic to expect that you will be spending that time waiting, no matter how well-prepared you are. Insurers don't care about your preparation; they care about the contract they have with you. And they stick to it. So the timing of your approval hinges on that---100 percent. Hopefully, your contract stipulates that supervision need not be by the surgeon. With luck, the work you've done with your PCP will count. Most of us had this same wish--and for most of us, it has not proven to be the case. A single phone call to your surgeon's insurance specialist, though, will give you an answer about this. S/he will know what your specific policy requires, and put an end to the speculation. I hope you don't have that wait. But if you do, the time can be a gift. Because mastering some of the post-banding skills (not knowledge, but behaving in the ways you'll behave post-banding) will give you a real leg up in terms of postop success. There is plenty to learn and practice. Have you started eating the way you'll eat when you're banded? Have you started taking tiny bites the size of a pencil eraser, and chewing each very thoroughly? Have you stopped drinking with meals, and for at least 30 minutes after? Have you asked your surgeon his stance on snacks---and eradicated them, if he's a three-meal-a-day guy? Have you started sampling Protein supplements to find out which you can stomach? (I recommend Inspire powders from Bariatric Eating.) Have you cleaned out your pantry and freezer, and restocked it with band-friendly foods? Again, I hope you get the news you want. But if you don't, it will be okay. Before you know it, you'll be banded--and you'll be in great shape to succeed. Good luck!

Premier Protein Strawberry (tastes like strawberry Quik) and Bariatric Advantage orange cream flavor.

Welcome back. Ten pounds is a small gain. Bariatric basic diet link below. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319724.php I’m 51 and five years out, My weight loss calories are around 1100 ish, carbohydrates around 56. Protein 60 to 100 grams. You may need to dial your calories up or down by 100 to find your body’s personal weight loss calorie range.